Tire-shield.



J. BURMEISTER. TIRE SHIELD.

APPLIoATIoN FILED MAR. ze, 1907.

'Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

' Tol all whomit may concern:

JOHN BURMEISTER, OF SPIRIT LAKE, IOWA.

TIRE-SHIELD.

Specication ofLetters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, loos.

Application led March 28, 1907. Serial No. 365,188.

Be it known that I, JOHN BURMEIS'PER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spirit Lake, inthe countyvof Dickinson and State of Iowa, have invented a lcertain new and useful Imprmementl in Tire- Shields, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects'of the invention is to provide an imp roved shield for vehicle tires, whereby the tires are protected vfrom punctures, and the sides of the tire sheath, as well as its tread,'are protected from chafing and wear to which'unprotected tires are subjected, when passing over rough and uneven roadways, while at the same time not interfering with the resiliency 'or cushioning properties of the tire.

A still further object of the invention is to provide improved means for fastenin the shield in place over the tire. j

The invention consists in a tire shield constructed and arranged to operate substantially as lI will proceed now more particularly to set forth and finally claim.

In the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is' a side elevation ofa portion of a wheel showing the shield applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, on a larger Y scale, and taken on the line 2-2, Figpl,

showing the rim and tire of the wheel, with the shield attached. Fig. 3 is a plan view,

on a larger scale, of that portion of the shield which rests upon the tread portion of the tire. Fig. 4 'is a transverse section on the line 4 4, Fig. 3, looking` in the direction of the arrows, showing the mannerof fastening the chains to the metal sections of the-shield?.

The shield comprises a suitable number of metal plates or sections a, made widest at their centers and tapering from a central` point upon both sides toward their ends, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to fit in proper abut- 4ting relation at their adjacent edges fromt end `to end 0f the sections when applied to f the tire, to thereby form a continuous sectional cover throughout the entire tread surface of the tire. The ends of the sections a." are slotted, as at b, and bent upon themselves to form eyes c, to receive pins al, to which short lengths of chain to be referred to are connected. rlhe eyes c are countersu'nk upon opposite sides, as shown at c, Fig. 4:. j

rivets j', with their adjacent central points in contact, upon a continuous f mndation-piece g, of any suitable flexible material, preferably leather, adapted to lit directly upon the tread surface of the tire. This leather foundation-piece maintains thel several metal sections a of the shield in proper relation both when the shield is on the tire and when it is removed from the tire, and also serves as an additional protection to the tread surface of the tire.

Chains k are connected with the opposite ends of the metal sections a by inserting the end links i in the slots b, and inserting the pins d through the eyes c and link z'. The vpins Z of each metal plate will be held in place against displacement by the next adjacent plates, and thus the necessity of clenching or upsetting the ends of the pins d is avoided. The ends of the pins d enter the counter-sinks e and are thus clear of the j abutting edges of the adjacent sections.

The chains 71. extend down to about the rim of the wheel and their lowermost links ranged upon opposite sides of the wheel, and provided with any suitable adjustable connecting device, such as a turnbuckle Z., see Fig. 1, whereby the hoops may be contracted and thus draw upon the chains to hold the shield firmly upon the tread of the tire. The hoops la are held in Vplace by connecting-pieces m extending across the rim of the wheel between the spokes thereof, and provided with eyes n at their ends through which the hoops 7c are threaded.

The shield fits the tire very snugly, and the metal shield sections being constructed of flexible metal and being mounted upon a iiexible foundation-piece, permit the shield proper to be drawn down upon the tire by the hoops lc, and thus made to conform to the tread of the tire, and also to the cushioning or resilient movements of the'tire walls when in use, and, therefore, does not impair the resiliency or cushioning properties of the tire, but forms a practically continuous covering or armor for the tread surface of .fthe tire to protect the same from punctures The sections (L aresuitably secured, as by 80 j are threaded uponiron hoops k, 7c, ari chains li. and connecting-pieces m, and when removed from the tire the parts of the shield all remain in their connected relation ready to be placed upon the tire when desired, and the pins d are held in place in the eyes 0 by the adjacent plates, when the shield is removed fromthe tire as Well as When the shield is in place upon the tire.

What I claim isz-f A tire shield, comprising a series of flexible metal plates, cach of said plates tapering from a central point toward the ends upon its opposite edges, eyes formed on the ends of said plates, and slots intersecting said eyes, a flexible foundation-piece to which said metal plates are secured With their central points in close proximity to each other, chains having end llnks inserted in the slots in the ends of said metal lates, and pins passing through the eyes oPsaid plates and said end links, hoops adapted to be arranged upon opposite sides of the Wheel rim and engaged by the other end links of the chains, connecting-pieces adapted to extend across and engage the Wheel rim and connected with said hoops, and means for adjustin said hoops to cause them to draw upon sai chains to thereby conform said metal plates to the tread of the tire and bring ad]acent edges in close proximity to each other throughout their length, the pins of each plate being held in place by the edges of the adjacent plates, when the shield is. in place upon the tire and when removed therefrom.

JOHN BURMEISTER. Witnesses:

ELLA M. MONCRIEFF, C. E. NAREY. 

